How to become a police officer in Nebraska
In Nebraska, police officers are hired by city police departments and county sheriff's offices. The Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice (Crime Commission) - Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center (NLETC) and Police Standards Advisory Council (PSAC) sets the statewide standards; the credential is Law Enforcement Officer Certificate (NLETC basic certification). At the Omaha Police Department, new hires start at $79,580 a year, rising to $110,260 after about 8 years. You must be at least 21.
Pay at the Omaha Police Department
Each city and county sets its own pay. This is the official scale of the Omaha Police Department, the largest city's agency.
| Starting salary | $79,580 |
|---|---|
| Top of scale | $110,260 |
| Years to top | 8 |
| Scale effective | 2025-12-21 |
Omaha Police entry officer scale, top step at 8+ years.
Source:[web.archive.org]
Pay for this work across Nebraska
Federal survey figures for police and sheriff's patrol officers in Nebraska, counting every employer in the state, public and private, so they differ from any one agency's pay scale above.
| People in this work | 3,490 |
|---|---|
| Lower pay (10th percentile) | $54,680 |
| Median pay | $74,620 |
| Higher pay (90th percentile) | $95,210 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state estimates (all employers)[bls.gov]
Requirements
- Minimum age: 21
- Education: High school graduate
- Citizenship: U.S. citizen
- Must be age 21 before completion of the training program
- Valid motor vehicle operator or chauffeur license
- Read, write and understand English at the eleventh grade level, shown by the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE)
- Good character per a thorough background investigation (Title 79 NAC Chapter 8)
- No one may be appointed a law enforcement officer without a Commission certificate or diploma for the council's minimum curriculum or approved equivalent training (Neb. Rev. Stat. 81-1414); a noncertified conditional officer must enroll in the next available basic class
Source:[ncc.nebraska.gov]
Hiring process
- Agency application and background investigation
- Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) at the eleventh-grade level
- Appointment as a noncertified conditional officer (optional) and enrollment in the next basic class
- 15-week NLETC basic certification course (written exams, performance objectives, essential physical job tasks)
- Certification by the Commission
Source:[ncc.nebraska.gov]
Entrance exam
Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) - NLETC admission. Admission requires reading, writing and understanding English at the eleventh grade level as shown by the TABE. Certification requires passing all written examinations in the basic course; no separate state licensing exam was identified.[ncc.nebraska.gov]
Required training
15 weeks. NLETC: 'The Training Center basic certification course is 15 weeks long and is conducted three times annually', class capacity 50; students must pass all written exams, complete all performance objectives and the PSAC-approved essential physical job tasks. No hour total stated.[ncc.nebraska.gov]
Pension and retirement
- Plan: City of Omaha Police and Fire Retirement System
- Benefit formula: Members hired after January 1, 2010: 50% pension at 20 years of service, 65% at 25 years, 75% at 30 years (Omaha Police and Fire Retirement System)
- When you can retire: Minimum age 50 with 20 years of service; pension reduced 7% per year under age 55 unless the member has 30 years of sworn service (hired after January 1, 2010)
Source:[lris.com]